Configuration of provisioning servers in virtualized systems

ABSTRACT

A software provisioning environment can include several provisioning servers for providing software provisioning to one or more target machines. In the environment, one of the provisioning servers can initiate a replication action. The replication action can transfer and apply the metadata from one provisioning server to another provisioning server. Additionally, the replication action can transfer and apply portions of an inventory of provisioning objects from one provisioning server to another provisioning server. During the replication action, the provisioning server can utilize the interfaces and protocols of standard provisioning processes to transfer the metadata and portions of the inventory.

FIELD

This invention relates generally to software provisioning.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Software provisioning is the process of selecting a target machine, such as a server, loading the appropriate software (operating system, device drivers, middleware, and applications), and customizing and configuring the system and the software to make it ready for operation. Software provisioning can entail a variety of tasks, such as creating or changing a boot image, specifying parameters, e.g. IP address, IP gateway, to find associated network and storage resources, and then starting the machine and its newly-loaded software. Typically, a system administrator will perform these tasks using various tools because of the complexity of these tasks. Unfortunately, there is a lack of provisioning control tools that can adequately integrate and automate these tasks.

Often, large entities, such as corporations, businesses, and universities, maintain large networks that include numerous systems spread over a wide geographic area. In order to provision software to the dispersed systems, the entities will maintain multiple installer servers located at different locations to support software provisioning. However, as changes are made to the dispersed installer servers, inconsistency between the dispersed installer servers may arise. As such, the dispersed installer server may perform provisioning actions differently than other installer servers in the same network. Moreover, in the event an installer server fails, the administrator of the network must reinstall and reconfigure the failed installer server.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various features of the embodiments can be more fully appreciated, as the same become better understood with reference to the following detailed description of the embodiments when considered in connection with the accompanying figures, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an overall provisioning environment in which various embodiments of the present teachings can be practiced;

FIG. 2 illustrates the overall provisioning environment in which provisioning servers can be replicated, according to various embodiments;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary hardware configuration for supporting a provisioning server, according to various embodiments; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart for replicating provisioning servers, according to various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

For simplicity and illustrative purposes, the principles of the present invention are described by referring mainly to exemplary embodiments thereof. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that the same principles are equally applicable to, and can be implemented in, all types of information and systems, and that any such variations do not depart from the true spirit and scope of the present invention. Moreover, in the following detailed description, references are made to the accompanying figures, which illustrate specific embodiments. Electrical, mechanical, logical and structural changes may be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended, claims and their equivalents.

Embodiments of the present teachings relate to systems and methods for replicating provisioning servers in a software provisioning environment. More particularly, a provisioning server can replicate the configuration of another provisioning server in the provisioning environment in order to maintain consistency in the environment.

In embodiments, a software provisioning environment can include several provisioning servers for providing software provisioning to one or more target machines. In the environment, one of the provisioning servers can be configured to initiate a replication action. The replication action can be configured to transfer and apply the metadata from one provisioning server to another provisioning server. Additionally, the replication action can be configured to transfer and apply portions of an inventory of provisioning objects from one provisioning server to another provisioning server. During the replication action, the provisioning server can be configured to utilize the interfaces and protocols of standard provisioning processes to transfer the metadata and portions of the inventory.

In embodiments, one provisioning server can be designated as the central provisioning server in the provisioning environment. The central provisioning server or other provisioning server can be configured to utilize the replication action to replicate the central provisioning server. For example, the central provisioning server can be replicated in order to expedite the addition of new provisioning servers, maintain consistency between provisioning servers in the environment, to propagate updates from the central provisioning server to the other provisioning servers, to maintain backup copies of the central provisioning server, and to add additional provisioning servers to increase capacity and support load-balancing.

By providing replication actions in the provisioning environment, consistency can be maintained throughout the provisioning environment by harmonizing the configuration and settings of the different provisioning servers. As such, installation of new provisioning servers can be simplified, updates can be easily propagated in the environment, multiple copies of the provisioning servers can be maintained for failure recovery, capacity for provisioning processes can be increased by the addition of provisioning servers, and load-balancing can be enhanced through the addition of provisioning servers.

FIG. 1 illustrates an overall provisioning environment 100, in systems and methods for the execution, management, and monitoring of software provisioning, according to exemplary aspects of the present disclosure. Embodiments described herein can be implemented in or supported by the exemplary environment illustrated in FIG. 1. The provisioning environment 100 provides a unified provisioning environment, which comprehensively manages the tasks related to software provisioning.

In particular, the provisioning environment 100 can manage software provisioning using a hierarchy of commands. In exemplary embodiments, the hierarchy can include at least four levels of commands. The lowest level in the hierarchy can comprise distribution commands, which primarily handle base operating system specific tasks of provisioning. The second level can comprise profile commands, which associate a configuration file, such as a kickstart file for Linux or other operating system, with a distribution and optionally allow for customization. The third level comprises system commands, which associate remote systems that are involved with the provisioning of the software. The fourth level comprises repository commands, which address configurations and tasks related to updating the software, remote installation procedures, and optionally customizing the software.

The provisioning environment 100 provides several capabilities and advantages over the known provisioning solutions. For example, the present invention is capable of handling a variety of forms of installations, such as preboot execution environment (“PXE”), virtualization, re-installations, and image installations.

In exemplary aspects, the provisioning environment 100 enables integrating virtualization into a PXE provisioning infrastructure and provides several options to reinstall running machines as well. The provisioning environment 100 can integrate mirroring of package repositories with the provisioning process, so that a provisioning server may serve as a central mirror point of contact for all of an organization's software needs. In aspects, a set of remote mirrored repositories can automatically be used by provisioned systems without additional setup.

Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary aspects the provisioning environment 100. The provisioning environment 100 can be applied to provisioning any form of software, such as Windows systems, UNIX systems, and Linux systems. In the exemplary description that follows, FIG. 1 is presented to explain the provisioning environment 100 for provisioning software, such as Linux, and Linux based software, such as Fedora and Red Hat Enterprise Linux by Red Hat, Inc.

In provisioning of software such as Linux, many system administrators use what is known as the “kickstart” installation method. Kickstart files are files that specify the intended configuration of the software being provisioned. Kickstart files can be kept on a server and can be read by individual computers during the installation. This installation method allows the use of a single or relatively few standard kickstart files to install Linux on multiple machines, making it ideal for network and system administrators.

The kickstart file can be a simple text file, containing a list of items, each identified by a keyword. In general, a kickstart file can be edited with any text editor or word processor that can save files as ASCII text. One skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention may be applied to non-kickstart files in software provisioning. For example, configuration files such as AutoYAST Answer files used in Novell SuSe Linux and Sun Solaris Jumpstart files may also be used by the provisioning environment 100.

Typically, a kickstart file can be copied to the boot disk, or made available on the network. The network-based approach is most commonly used, as most kickstart installations for software provisioning, such as Linux systems, tend to be performed via a network using NFS, FTP, or HTTP on networked computers. Administrators also find it desirable that kickstart installations can be performed using a local CD-ROM, or a local hard drive.

Using kickstart files, a system administrator can create a single file containing the parameters that are needed to complete a typical software installation. For example, kickstart files specify parameters related to: language selection; mouse configuration; keyboard selection; boot loader installation; disk partitioning; network configuration; NIS, LDAP, Kerberos, Hesiod, and Samba authentication; firewall configuration; and package selection.

According to exemplary aspects illustrated in FIG. 1, the provisioning environment 100 can include a provisioning server 102, a code repository 104 which provides access to distributions 106 and 108, a set of installation templates 110, a set of exception plugins 112, a helper client 114 running on target machines 116 in a network 115, a provisioning database 120 which comprises a distribution tree list 122 and template list 124. Each of these components will now be further described.

The provisioning server (from herein referred to as a “cobbler”) 102 is responsible for: serving as an extensible markup language remote procedure call (XMLRPC) handler; linking to or mirroring install distribution trees and a configuration database; hosting kickstart templates; hosting plugins; generating installation images, and the like. The cobbler server 102 can be implemented as software, such as Python code, installed on a boot server machine and provide a command line interface for configuration of the boot server. In addition, the cobbler server 102 can make itself available as a Python application programming interface (API) for use by higher level management software (not shown). The cobbler server 102 supports provisioning via PXE, image (ISO) installation, virtualization, re-provisioning. As will be described later, the last two modes are performed with the assistance of a helper client 114.

The code repository 104 is responsible for hosting distributions 106 and 108. The code repository 104 can be implemented using well known components of hardware and software. Additionally, the code repository 104 can include one or more repositories hosting distributions. The distributions 106 and 108 can include bundles of software that are already compiled and configured. The distributions 106 and 108 may be in the form of either rpm, deb, tgz, msi, exe formats, and the like. For example, as Linux distributions, the distributions 106 and 108 are bundles of software that comprise the Linux kernel, the non-kernel parts of the operating system, and assorted other software. The distributions 106 and 108 can take a variety of forms, from fully-featured desktop and server operating systems to minimal environments.

In exemplary aspects, the installation templates 110 are any data structure or processing element that can be combined with a set of installation configurations and processed to produce a resulting configuration file, such as a kickstart file.

In exemplary aspects, exception plugins 112 are software that interact with cobbler server 102 to customize the provisioning of software. In general, the exception plugins 112 are intended to address infrequent customization needs.

In exemplar aspects, the helper client (known as “koan”, which stands for “kickstart-over-a-network”) 114 can assist the cobbler server 102 during the provisioning processes. The koan 114 can allow for both network provisioning of new virtualized guests and destructive provisioning of any existing system. When invoked, the koan 114 can request profile information from a remote boot server that has been configured with the cobbler server 102. In some aspects, what the koan 114 does with the profile data depends on whether it was invoked with—virt or—replace-self.

In exemplary aspects, the koan 114 can enable replacing running systems as well as installing virtualized profiles. The koan 114 can also be pushed out to systems automatically from the boot server. In some aspects, the koan client 114 is also written in Python code to accommodate a variety of operating systems, machine architectures, etc.

In exemplary aspects, the network 115 can include a number of the target machines 116. The target machines 116 can represent the particular machines to which software provisioning is directed. The target machines 116 can represent a wide variety of computing devices, such as personal computers, servers, laptop computers, personal mobile devices, and the like. In some aspects, the target machines 116 can represent distributed computing environments such as cloud computing environments. Although FIG. 1 shows several of the target machines 116, the provisioning environment 100 can be capable of managing a wide range environments, such as datacenters with thousands of machines or server pools with just a few machines. Additionally, the cobbler server 102 can be connected to multiple networks 115.

In exemplary aspects, the provisioning database 120 can serve as a data storage location for holding data used by the cobbler server 102. For example, as shown, the provisioning database 120 can comprise the distribution tree list 122 and the template list 124. The distribution tree list 122 can provide an inventory of the distributions 106 and 108 that are hosted or mirrored by the cobbler server 102. The template list 124 can provide an inventory of the templates 110 that are hosted by the cobbler server 102.

As noted above, the cobbler server 102 can manage provisioning using a hierarchical concept of distribution commands, profile commands, system commands, and repository commands. This framework enables the cobbler server 102 to abstract the differences between multiple provisioning types (installation, reinstallation, and virtualization) and allows installation of all three from a common platform. This hierarchy of commands also permits the cobbler server 102 to integrate software repositories 126 with the provisioning process, thus allowing systems to be configured as a mirror for software updates and third party content as well as distribution content.

Distributions can contain information about base operating system tasks, such as what kernel and initial ramdisk (“initrd”) are used in the provisioning, along with other information, such as required kernel parameters. Profiles associate one of the distributions 106 and 108 with a kickstart file and optionally customize it further, for example, using plugins 112. System commands associate a hostname, IP, or (machine access control) MAC with a distribution and optionally customize the profile further. Repositories contain update information, such as yum mirror information that the cobbler server 102 uses to mirror repository 104. The cobbler server 102 can also manage (generate) dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) configuration files using the templates 110.

In exemplary aspects, the cobbler server 102 can use a provisioning environment that is fully templated, allowing for kickstarts and PXE files to be customized by the user. The cobbler server 102 uses the concept of “profiles” as an intermediate step between the operating system and the installed system. A profile is a description of what a system does rather than the software to be installed. For instance, a profile might describe a virtual web server with X amount of RAM, Y amounts of disk space, running a Linux distribution Z, and with an answer file W.

In exemplary aspects, the cobbler server 102 can provide a command line interface to configure a boot server in which it is installed. For example, the format of the cobbler server 102 commands can be generally in the format of: cobbler command [subcommand] [--arg1=] [--arg2=]. Thus, a user can specify various aspects of software provisioning via a single interface, such as a command line interface or other known interface. Examples of exemplary cobbler commands can be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/763,315, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008-0288938 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/763,333, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008-0288939, all assigned to Red Hat Corporation, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein, in their entirety, by reference.

According to exemplary aspects, a user can use various commands of the provisioning environment 100 to specify distributions and install trees hosted by the code repository 104, such as a distribution from the distributions 106 or 108. A user can add or import a distribution or import it from installation media or an external network location.

According to exemplary aspects, in order to import a distribution, the cobbler server 102 can auto-add distributions and profiles from remote sources, whether this is an installation media (such as a DVD), an NFS path, or an rsync mirror. When importing an rsync mirror, the cobbler server 102 can try to detect the distribution type and automatically assign kickstarts. By default in some embodiments, the cobbler server can provision by erasing the hard drive, setting up eth0 for DHCP, and using a default password. If this is undesirable, an administrator may edit the kickstart files in /etc/cobbler to do something else or change the kickstart setting after the cobbler server 102 creates the profile.

According to exemplary aspects, a user may map profiles to the distributions and map systems to the profiles using profile commands and systems commands of the provisioning environment 100. A profile associates a distribution to additional specialized options, such as a kickstart automation file. In the cobbler server 102, profiles are the unit of provisioning and at least one profile exists for every distribution to be provisioned. A profile might represent, for instance, a web server or desktop configuration.

According to exemplary aspects, a user can map systems to profiles using system commands. System commands can assign a piece of hardware with cobbler server 102 to a profile. Systems can be defined by hostname, Internet Protocol (IP) address, or machine access control (MAC) address. When available, use of the MAC address to assign systems can be preferred.

According to exemplary aspects, the user can map repositories and profiles using repository commands. Repository commands can address configurations and tasks related to updating the software, remote installation procedures, and optionally customizing the software. These repository commands can also specify mirroring of the provisioned software to remote servers. Repository mirroring can allow the cobbler server 102 to mirror not only the trees 106 and 108, but also optional packages, third party content, and updates. Mirroring can be useful for faster, more up-to-date installations and faster updates, or providing software on restricted networks. The cobbler server 102 can also include other administrative features, such as allowing the user to view their provisioning configuration or information tracking the status of a requested software installation.

According to exemplary aspects, a user can utilize commands to create a provisioning infrastructure from a distribution mirror. Then a default PXE configuration is created, so that by default, systems will PXE boot into a fully automated install process for that distribution. The distribution mirror can be a network rsync mirror or a mounted DVD location.

According to exemplary aspects, the administrator uses a local kernel and initrd file (already downloaded), and shows how profiles would be created using two different kickstarts—one for a web server configuration and one for a database server. Then, a machine can be assigned to each profile.

According to exemplary aspects, a repo mirror can be set up for two repositories, and create a profile that will auto install those repository configurations on provisioned systems using that profile.

According to exemplary aspects, in addition to normal provisioning, the cobbler server 102 can support yet another option, called “enchant”. Enchant takes a configuration that has already been defined and applies it to a remote system that might not have the remote helper program installed. Users can use this command to replace a server that is being repurposed, or when no PXE environment can be created. Thus, the enchant option allows the remote the koan client 114 to be executed remotely from the cobbler server 102.

According to aspects, if the cobbler server 102 is configured to mirror certain repositories, the cobbler server 102 can then be used to associate profiles with those repositories. Systems installed under those profiles can be auto configured to use these repository mirrors in commands and, if supported, these repositories can be leveraged. This can be useful for a large install base, when fast installation and upgrades for systems are desired, or software not in a standard repository exists and provisioned systems desire to know about that repository.

According to exemplary aspects, the cobbler server 102 can also keep track of the status of kickstarting machines. For example, the “cobbler status” will show when the cobbler server 102 thinks a machine started kickstarting and when it last requested a file. This can be a desirable way to track machines that may have gone inactive during kickstarts. The cobbler server 102 can also make a special request in the post section of the kickstart to signal when a machine is finished kickstarting.

According to exemplary aspects, for certain commands, the cobbler server 102 will create new virtualized guests on a machine in accordance with orders from the cobbler server 102. Once finished, an administrator can use additional commands on the guest or other operations. The cobbler server 102 can automatically name domains based on their MAC addresses. For re-kickstarting, the cobbler server 102 can reprovision the system, deleting any current data and replacing it with the results of a network install.

According to exemplary aspects, the cobbler server 102 can configure boot methods for the provisioning requested by the user. For example, the cobbler server 102 can configure a PXE environment, such as a network card BIOS. Alternatively, the cobbler server 102 can compile and configure information for koan client 104. The cobbler server 102 can also optionally configure DHCP and DNS configuration information.

According to exemplary aspects, the cobbler server 102 can serve the request of the koan client 114. The koan client 114 can acknowledge the service of information of the cobbler server 102 and can then initiate installation of the software being provisioned. Additionally, the koan client 114 can either install the requested software, e.g., replace the existing operating system, or install a virtual machine.

FIG. 2 illustrates aspects of the provisioning environment 100 that allows for replication of provisioning servers, according to various embodiments. In embodiments, as shown, the provisioning environment 100 can include a number of cobbler servers 202, 204, 206, and 208 for providing software provisioning to target machines, such as target machines 210, 212, 214, 216, and 218. While FIG. 2 illustrates several cobbler servers located in several networks 220, 222, and 224, provisioning environment 100 can include any number of cobbler server located in any number of networks.

In embodiments, one of the cobbler servers 202, 204, 206, and 208 can be configured to be a central or “master” provisioning server. For example, the cobbler server 202 can be selected as the central or “master” provisioning server. The central cobbler server 202 can be configured to maintain a complete inventory of provisioning objects for the software provisioning environment 100. Likewise, the cobbler server 202 can be configured to manage the other cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208 in the provisioning environment 100.

In embodiments, the provisioning objects can include all the data required by a cobbler server to perform the software provisioning processes, such as the process described above, supported by the cobbler server. For example, the provisioning objects can include software distributions; configuration templates (templates for generating configuration files, such as kickstart files); distribution profile information (mapping a distribution to profile; a configuration template or a configuration file, and additional preferences, such as kernel options, template variables, or virtual machine settings); target machine information (information representing the mapping of a physical piece of hardware, plus hardware specific customizations, to a profile that it should run); repos information (information representing external or internal software repositories stored on the cobbler server); images (such as distributions representing an undefined executable image (like “memtest”); a virtual machine to be cloned, or an ISO file for use in installing a virtual machine); and the like.

In embodiments, the cobbler servers 202, 204, 206, and 208 can be located across one or more networks 220, 222, and 224 that can be geographically dispersed. For example, the central cobbler server 202, the one or more of the cobbler servers 204 and the cobbler servers 206 and 208 can be located in separate local area networks which may be connected by a wide area network. Likewise, the cobbler servers 202, 204, 206, and 208 can be all located in a local area network. While FIG. 2 illustrates the cobbler server 202 being configured as the central cobbler server 202, any of the cobbler servers 202, 204, 206, and 208 can be configured as the central cobbler server. For example, the cobbler servers 202, 204, 206, and 208 can be configured as the central cobbler server based on its network location, geographic location, specifications of the systems supporting the cobbler server, and the like.

In embodiments, in order to maintain consistency in the provisioning environment 100, the cobbler servers 204, 206, 208 can be configured to be duplicates of the central cobbler server 202. As duplicates, the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208 can be configured to contain the same configurations and settings as the central cobbler server 202. Additionally, the cobbler server 204, 206, and 208 can be configured to contain portions or all of the inventory of provisioning objects for the software provisioning environment 100 as maintained in the central cobbler server 202. Likewise, as duplicates, updates and changes can be maintained consistently throughout the provisioning environment 100.

In embodiments, in order to maintain to the consistency in the provisioning environment 100, the central cobbler server 202 or one or more of the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208 can be configured to initiate a replication action. In the replication action, metadata from the central cobbler server 202 can be transferred from the central cobbler server 202 to one or more of the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208 and applied to the cobbler server 204, 206, and 208. The metadata from the central cobbler server 202 can include the necessary information to configure a cobbler server to be a duplicate of the central cobbler server 202.

In embodiments, additionally during the replication action, portions or all of the inventory of provisioning objects can be transferred to the one or more cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208. By transferring a portion of the inventory of the provisioning objects, the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208 can be specifically tailored to provide specific provisioning processes. By transferring a complete inventory, one or more of the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208 can be configured to be complete copies of the central cobbler server 202. As such, the provisioning environment 100 can maintain more than one exact copy of the central cobbler server 202 in the event errors or catastrophic failure occurs at the central cobbler server 202. The amount of the inventory of provisioning objects transferred can be determined by the central cobbler server 202 or requested by one or more of the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208.

In embodiments, the central cobbler server 202 can also be configured to replicate one of the cobbler servers 204, 206, or 208, which is a duplicate, in order to restore the central cobbler server 202 to its original settings, in the event errors or catastrophic failure occur on the central cobbler server 202. In the replication action, metadata and the inventory of provisioning objects from one of the cobbler servers 204, 206, or 208 can be transferred to the central cobbler server 202 from one of the cobbler servers 204, 206, or 208 and applied to the central cobbler server 202.

In embodiments, the central cobbler server 202 or any one of the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208 can initiate the replication action. For example, the central cobbler server 202 can initiate the replication action in order to replicate the central cobbler server 202 onto one or more of the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208. Likewise, in the event of a catastrophic failure of the central cobbler server 202, the central cobbler server 202 can initiate the replication action with one of the cobbler servers 204, 206, or 208, which is a complete duplicate, in order to restore the central cobbler server 202 by transmitting a replication request to one of the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208. Additionally, one or more of the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208 can initiate the replication action by transmitting a replication request to the central cobbler server 202.

In embodiments, once the replication action is initiated, the cobbler server being replicated (the central cobbler server 202 or the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208) can be configured to provide the metadata to the cobbler server receiving replication. The central cobbler server 202 or the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208 can be configured to provide the metadata over the same interface, using the same protocols as other software provisioning procedures as described above. Likewise, if portions of the inventory of provisioning objects are being replicated, the central cobbler server 202 or the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208 can be configured to provide the portions of the inventory over the same interface, using the same protocols as other software provisioning procedures.

In embodiments, once the metadata has been provided to a cobbler server, the central cobbler server 202 or the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208 can be configured to apply the received metadata in order to replicate the providing cobbler server. The central cobbler server 202 or the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208 can be configured to include the necessary logic, commands, and protocols to modify its own settings, configurations, and parameters to match the received metadata. Likewise, if portions of the inventory of provisioning objects is received, the central cobbler server 202 or the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208 can be configured to include the necessary logic, commands, and protocols to associate itself with the received inventory of provisioning objects. Additionally, the central cobbler server 202 or the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208 can be configured to include the necessary logic, commands, and protocols to check for errors once the received metadata is applied.

In embodiments, for example, the cobbler server 204 can be a new cobbler server added to the network 224 to support the target machines 216. As such, the cobbler server 204 can be configured with default settings and parameters. In order to integrate the new cobbler server 204 in the provisioning environment 100, the central cobbler server 202 or the new cobbler server 204 can initiate a replication action to replicate the central cobbler server 202 onto the new cobbler server 204. For instance, the central cobbler server 202 can select the new cobbler server 204 for replication and initiate the replication action. Likewise, the new cobbler server 204 can transmit a request to the central cobbler server 202 to initiate the replication action.

In this example, once the replication action is initiated, the central cobbler server 202 can transmit the metadata from the central cobbler server 202 to the new cobbler server 204. Once received, the new cobbler server 204 can apply the received metadata to its setting and parameters in order to replicate the central cobbler server 202. Additionally, during the replication, portions of the inventory of provisioning objects can be transferred to the new cobbler server 204. The particular portions provided can be selected by the central cobbler server 202 or requested by the new cobbler server 204.

In embodiments, for further example, changes can occur in the settings and parameters of the central cobbler server 202 or changes can occur in the inventory of the provisioning objects. In this example, the central cobbler server 202 can be configured to initiate the replication action, as described above, on one or more of the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208 in order to update the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208 with the changes.

In embodiments, for further example, new cobbler servers can be added to existing networks 220, 222, and 224 or new networks in order to support increased provisioning processes and to support load-balancing of the provisioning processes. For instance, the cobbler server 208 can be a new cobbler server added to the network 220 to support one or more of the target machines 210 and 212. The new cobbler server 208 can be added to reduce the provisioning processes supported by the cobbler server 206, to perform a specific set of provisioning processes, to support additional target machines added to the network 220, or for any other reason. As such, the cobbler server 208 can be configured with default settings and parameters. In order to integrate the new cobbler server 208 in the provisioning environment 100, the central cobbler server 202 or the new cobbler server 208 can initiate a replication action to replicate the central cobbler server 202 onto the new cobbler server 208. For instance, the central cobbler server 202 can select the new cobbler server 208 for replication and initiate the replication action. Likewise, the new cobbler server 208 can transmit a request to the central cobbler server 202 to initiate the replication action.

In this example, once the replication action is initiated, the central cobbler server 202 can transmit the metadata from the central cobbler server 202 to the new cobbler server 208. Once received, the new cobbler server 208 can apply the received metadata to its setting and parameters in order to replicate the central cobbler server 202. Additionally, during the replication, portions of the inventory of provisioning objects can be transferred to the new cobbler server 208. The particular portions provided can be selected by the central cobbler server 202 or requested by the new cobbler server 208.

In embodiments as described above, the central cobbler sever 202 can be configured to transmit the metadata and portions of the inventory of provisioning objects to other cobbler servers. Additionally, the other cobbler server can be configured to retrieve or “pull” the metadata and portions of the inventory of provisioning object from the central cobbler server 202. Likewise, when the central cobbler server 202 is replicating other cobbler servers, the central cobbler server 202 can be configured to retrieve or “pull” the metadata and portions of the inventory of provisioning object from the other cobbler servers.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary diagram of hardware and other resources that can be incorporated in a computer system 300 configured to communicate with the networks 220, 222, and 224 to perform cobbler server replication, according to embodiments. In embodiments as shown, the computer system 300 can comprise a processor 302 communicating with memory 304, such as electronic random access memory, operating under control of or in conjunction with operating system 308. Operating system 308 can be, for example, a distribution of the Linux™ operating system, the Unix™ operating system, or other open-source or proprietary operating system or platform. Processor 302 also communicates with the provisioning database 120, such as a database stored on a local hard drive. While illustrated as a local database in the computer system 300, the provisioning database 120 can be separate from the computer system 300 and the computer system 300 can be configured to communicate with the remote provisioning database 120.

Processor 302 further communicates with network interface 306, such as an Ethernet or wireless data connection, which in turn communicates with one or more networks 220, 224, and 226, such as the Internet or other public or private networks. Processor 302 also communicates with the memory 304, the network interface 306, the cobbler server 202, and the provisioning database 120 to execute control logic and perform the cobbler server replication described above. Other configurations of the computer system 300, associated network connections, and other hardware and software resources are possible.

As illustrated in FIG. 3 the cobbler server 202 can be implemented as a software application or program capable of being executed by a conventional computer platform. Likewise, the cobbler server 202 can also be implemented as a software module or program module capable of being incorporated in other software applications and programs. In either case, the cobbler server 202 can be implemented in any type of conventional proprietary or open-source computer language. Additionally, while FIG. 3 illustrates the computer system 300 supporting the cobbler server 202, one skilled in the art will realize that computer system 300 or similar system can support the cobbler server 204, 206, and 208.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of overall replications of provisioning servers in the provisioning environment 100, according to embodiments of the present teachings. In 402, the process can begin. In 404, a cobbler server can initiate an action to replicate a cobbler server. For example, the central cobbler server 202 or any one of the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208 can initiate the replication action. The central cobbler server 202 can initiate the replication action in order to replicate the central cobbler server 202 onto one or more of the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208. Likewise, in the event of a catastrophic failure of the central cobbler server 202, the central cobbler server 202 can initiate the replication action with one of the cobbler servers 204, 206, or 208, which is a complete duplicate, in order to restore the central cobbler server 202 by transmitting a replication request to one of the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208. Additionally, one or more of the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208 can initiate the replication action by transmitting a replication request to the central cobbler server 202.

In 406, the cobbler server can transfer metadata from one cobbler server to another cobbler server. For example, the metadata from the central cobbler server 202 can be transferred from the central cobbler server 202 to one or more of the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208. The metadata from the central cobbler server 202 can include the necessary information to configure a cobbler server to be a duplicate of the central cobbler server 202. Likewise, the metadata from one of the cobbler servers 204, 206, or 208 can be transferred to the central cobbler server 202.

In 408, the cobbler server can optionally transfer portions of an inventory of provisioning objects from one cobbler server to another cobbler server. For example, portions or all of the inventory of provisioning objects can be transferred to the one or more cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208 from the central cobbler server 202 or vice versa. The amount of the inventory of provisioning objects transferred can be determined by the central cobbler server 202 or requested by one or more of the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208.

In 410, the cobbler server can apply the metadata and portions of inventory to the cobbler server. For example, the central cobbler server 202 or the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208 can be configured to include the necessary logic, commands, and protocols to modify its own settings, configurations, and parameters to match the received metadata. Likewise, if portions of the inventory of provisioning objects is received, the central cobbler server 202 or the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208 can be configured to include the necessary logic, commands, and protocols to associate itself with the received inventory of provisioning objects.

In 412, the cobbler server can check for errors in the cobbler server. For example, the central cobbler server 202 or the cobbler servers 204, 206, and 208 can be configured to include the necessary logic, commands, and protocols to check for errors once the received metadata is applied. In 414, the process can end, but the process can return to any point and repeat.

While the invention has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications to the described embodiments without departing from the true spirit and scope. The terms and descriptions used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. In particular, although the method has been described by examples, the steps of the method may be performed in a different order than illustrated or simultaneously. Those skilled in the art will recognize that these and other variations are possible within the spirit and scope as defined in the following claims and their equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: selecting, by a processor, a first provisioning server from a plurality of provisioning servers in view of an amount of provisioning activity performed by the first provisioning server, wherein the first provisioning server is a physical machine to provide a first software provisioning service to a first set of physical target machines; obtaining, by the processor, metadata defining a configuration of the first provisioning server; and modifying, by the processor, a configuration of a second provisioning server in view of the metadata defining the configuration of the first provisioning server, and an inventory of provisioning objects comprising at least one of a virtual machine (VM) or data pertaining to installation of the VM, wherein the modifying comprises cloning the VM, and wherein the second provisioning server is a physical machine to provide a second software provisioning service to a second set of physical target machines.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein to provide the first software provisioning service to the first set of physical target machines comprises providing at least one of a software distribution, a provisioning profile, or a provisioning template.
 3. The method of claim 2 further comprising: selecting the software distribution from a plurality of software distributions.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second provisioning server comprises the processor.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein a third provisioning server comprises the processor.
 6. The method of claim 1 further comprising: checking the metadata for errors.
 7. A system comprising: a network interface; and a processor, operatively coupled to the network interface, to: select a first provisioning server from a plurality of provisioning servers in view of an amount of provisioning activity performed by the first provisioning server, wherein the first provisioning server is a physical machine to provide a first software provisioning service to a first set of physical target machines; obtain, via the network interface, metadata defining a configuration of the first provisioning server; and modify a configuration of a second provisioning server in view of the metadata defining the configuration of the first provisioning server, and an inventory of provisioning objects comprising at least one of a virtual machine (VM) or data pertaining to installation of the VM, wherein to modify the configuration of the second provisioning server comprises cloning the VM, and wherein the second provisioning server is a physical machine to provide a second software provisioning service to a second set of physical target machines.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein to provide the first software provisioning service to the first set of physical target machines comprises providing at least one of a software distribution, a provisioning profile, or a provisioning template.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further to select the provisioning profile from a plurality of provisioning profiles.
 10. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further to receive, via the network interface, a request to replicate the first provisioning server.
 11. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further to detect a change in the metadata.
 12. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further to check the metadata for errors.
 13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to: select, by the processor, a first provisioning server from a plurality of provisioning servers in view of an amount of provisioning activity performed by the first provisioning server, wherein the first provisioning server is a physical machine to provide a first software provisioning service to a first set of physical target machines; obtain, by the processor, metadata defining a configuration of the first provisioning server; and modify, by the processor, a configuration of a second provisioning server in view of the metadata defining the configuration of the first provisioning server, and an inventory of provisioning objects comprising at least one of a virtual machine (VM) or data pertaining to installation of the VM, wherein the modifying comprises cloning the VM, and wherein the second provisioning server is a physical machine to provide a second software provisioning service to a second set of physical target machines.
 14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein to provide the first software provisioning service to the first set of physical target machines comprises providing at least one of a software distribution, a provisioning profile, or a provisioning template.
 15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to select the provisioning template from a plurality of provisioning templates.
 16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the second provisioning server comprises the processor.
 17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to detect a change in the metadata.
 18. The provisioning application of claim 13, wherein a third provisioning server comprises the processor. 